‘92 Violent Crime Figures Nearly Unchanged : Statistics: Many valley cities see a slight drop in felonies such as murder, rape, assault and robbery. Spring riots have little effect.

The number of reported violent crimes remained virtually unchanged in the San Gabriel Valley last year, despite civil unrest in April and May and continuing economic hard times that police say usually bring a surge in crime.

Instead, statistics measured collectively for eight major crimes--murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, auto theft and arson--show rates decreased slightly, by 0.8%, in the 29 cities and unincorporated county area stretching from Pasadena to Pomona.

In 1992, 96,289 major crimes were reported in the region, compared to 97,074 in 1991, according to statistics compiled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and local law enforcement agencies.

The tally of major violent crimes are forwarded to the state Department of Justice and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which release reports later in the year.

Although police typically say recession spurs crimes of desperation, the nearly static crime tallies would appear to counter that.

Law enforcement officials were puzzled by the drop, but some tried to speculate on its cause.

“People that were arrested during the uprising (that followed last year’s Rodney G. King-related verdicts) I would suspect were involved in everyday crime anyway,” Pasadena Police Lt. Rick Law said. “Maybe police were fortunate enough to arrest them during the uprising. They’ve done some jail time and maybe that’s why crime has not gone up.”

Law also said that the riots may have prompted police to work on community relations, resulting in cooperation between residents and police and a lowering of the crime rate.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Operations Sgt. Scott Coleman of the Industry station said the civil unrest may have bolstered awareness and prompted more preventive action by deputies.

“It looks good for us, we’re glad to see it,” Coleman said of the small drop in crime. “But as to the reason why, I can’t give one.”

Overall, the number of reported violent crimes decreased in 16 valley cities, and in the unincorporated county area patrolled by sheriff’s deputies.

In terms of percentages, cities showing the largest decreases were San Marino and South Pasadena. San Marino’s 38.8% decrease came mainly in reductions in the number of thefts and burglaries, while South Pasadena’s 18.4% decrease came largely in robbery, theft and burglary. But the city reported a 48.8% increase in assaults, from 45 in 1991 to 67.

La Verne had an 18.1% decrease in crime overall, with reductions in every category except arson.

In the unincorporated area patrolled, crime decreased 11.03%, with the largest decreases in burglaries, thefts and auto thefts.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Pete Fosselman of the Temple station could not explain the decrease but said that normal calls for service in his area declined during the riots. Although riot-related calls poured into the station, requests for help in assaults, car thefts and other crimes were almost nonexistent.

“I don’t know why that is,” Fosselman said. “I don’t know if everybody decided to stay home and watch TV to see what happened or if the heightened patrols may have had something to do with it.”

In raw numbers, cities with the fewest crimes were the smaller communities. Bradbury, population 829, had only 12 violent crimes; Sierra Madre, population 10,762, had 209 crimes; Walnut, population 29,105, had 910, and Duarte, population 20,688, had 941.

But murders touched even these tiny cities, which together logged six homicides. Sierra Madre was the only one among them to report no murders.

The overall crime decrease in the valley was reflected in reductions in reported rapes, down 5.8% from 1991, and robberies, down 5.3% from 1991 levels. Thefts decreased 2.4% from 1991 tallies.

Murders, assaults, auto thefts and arson fires rose slightly but at an increase of less than 10% in each category.

The number of murders rose, or stayed the same, in 16 cities, with six reporting no murders. Pomona had the most dramatic increase in murders, 56%, totaling 39 last year compared to 25 in 1991.

West Covina logged the biggest decrease in murders, 73.3%, from 15 in 1991 to four last year. West Covina police took no credit for the decrease, however, attributing it instead to happenstance or, as one police official put it, the inability of assailants to shoot straight.

Assaults increased 4.2%, with 17 valley cities reporting increases. Those with the largest jumps were Arcadia with a 49.5% increase, Pasadena with a 31.7% increase and El Monte with a 27.2% increase.

Auto thefts increased slightly, 2.1%, with increases in 13 cities. In terms of raw numbers, more motorists had cars stolen in Pomona, Pasadena, El Monte, West Covina and unincorporated areas than anywhere else.

Arson, which increased in 14 cities, rose 9.2% overall.

Meanwhile, the region’s two largest cities were at opposite ends of the crime count. Pasadena showed a 6.6% increase and Pomona a drop of 1.6%.

Although Pomona’s murder rate jumped, decreases in burglaries, assaults and robberies lowered the city’s crime rate.

“Pro-active” and community-based policing led to the crime decrease in Pomona, Police Lt. Leon Sakamoto said.

He said police are more visible on the street, saturating problem areas with patrol officers and using task forces to fight graffiti, drugs and gangs.

“We identify the problem in the community and take steps to eliminate it before it gets out of hand,” Sakamoto said.

Pasadena saw an increase in all major crime categories, except for rape and arson.

But Law said fast police mobilization discouraged extensive civil unrest in the city and possibly had a continuing effect.

“We would have been a lot higher, perhaps in the double digits, if we had not been so fast, “ Law said of the city’s crime rate.

Crime in the San Gabriel Valley in 1991 and 1992

1991 1992 Alhambra Murder 8 9 Rape 16 16 Robbery 306 379 Assault 758 586 Burglary 929 886 Theft 2,035 2,029 Auto theft 881 951 Arson 47 50 Total 4,980 4,906 Percent change: -1.5% Arcadia Murder 1 2 Rape 6 6 Robbery 168 112 Assault 283 423 Burglary 441 551 Theft 1,199 1,295 Auto theft 336 324 Arson 14 13 Total 2,448 2,726 Percent change: 11.4% Azusa Murder 2 2 Rape 16 19 Robbery 91 127 Assault 636 680 Burglary 655 622 Theft 1,048 823 Auto theft 443 400 Arson 24 28 Total 2,915 2,701 Percent change: -7.3% Baldwin Park Murder 11 12 Rape 24 15 Robbery 258 266 Assault 726 765 Burglary 1,217 1,156 Theft 383 399 Auto theft 775 765 Arson 29 34 Total 3,423 3,412 Percent change: -.3% Bradbury Murder 0 1 Rape 0 0 Robbery 1 0 Assault 4 1 Burglary 1 4 Theft 5 5 Auto theft 1 1 Arson 1 0 Total 13 12 Percent change: -7.7% City of Industry Murder 2 3 Rape 7 4 Robbery 149 142 Assault 116 183 Burglary 356 299 Theft 1,799 1,559 Auto theft 703 658 Arson 7 21 Total 3,139 2,869 Percent change: -8.6% Claremont Murder 0 0 Rape 7 6 Robbery 79 90 Assault 51 80 Burglary 538 507 Theft 863 889 Auto theft 149 197 Arson 9 12 Total 1,696 1,781 Percent change: 5% Covina Murder 1 2 Rape 6 20 Robbery 137 186 Assault 416 377 Burglary 574 527 Theft 1,284 1,448 Auto theft 556 586 Arson 20 17 Total 2,994 3,163 Percent change: 5.6% 1991 1992 Diamond Bar Murder 3 1 Rape 7 7 Robbery 87 97 Assault 158 208 Burglary 490 491 Theft 672 718 Auto theft 346 344 Arson 15 16 Total 1,778 1,882 Percent change: 5.8% Duarte Murder 2 4 Rape 4 6 Robbery 47 56 Assault 127 138 Burglary 185 226 Theft 352 358 Auto theft 183 145 Arson 2 8 Total 902 941 Percent change: 4.3% El Monte Murder 13 17 Rape 51 53 Robbery 817 710 Assault 585 744 Burglary 1,605 1,684 Theft 2,145 2,062 Auto theft 1,290 1,405 Arson 67 64 Total 6,573 6,739 Percent change: 2.5% Glendora Murder 0 1 Rape 8 10 Robbery 59 57 Assault 515 527 Burglary 404 427 Theft 941 956 Auto theft 167 169 Arson 20 21 Total 2,114 2,168 Percent change: 2.5% Irwindale Murder 1 2 Rape 4 2 Robbery 15 13 Assault 52 46 Burglary 150 114 Theft 109 99 Auto theft 77 79 Arson 1 8 Total 409 363 Percent change: -11.2% La Puente Murder 10 13 Rape 18 16 Robbery 227 212 Assault 514 499 Burglary 419 366 Theft 603 561 Auto theft 412 430 Arson 16 23 Total 2,219 2,120 Percent change: -4.5% La Verne Murder 0 0 Rape 6 1 Robbery 47 39 Assault 76 46 Burglary 394 242 Theft 634 595 Auto theft 121 116 Arson 6 12 Total 1,284 1,051 Percent change: -18.1% Monrovia Murder 6 1 Rape 19 4 Robbery 124 106 Assault 242 282 Burglary 503 392 Theft 1,209 1,131 Auto theft 241 324 Arson 3 1 Total 2,347 2,240 Percent change: -4.6% 1991 1992 Monterey Park Murder 7 2 Rape 12 8 Robbery 332 385 Assault 534 540 Burglary 783 817 Theft 1,046 852 Auto theft 764 728 Arson 13 7 Total 3,491 3,339 Percent change: 4.3% Pasadena Murder 15 18 Rape 63 55 Robbery 785 857 Assault 834 1,098 Burglary 1,860 1,891 Theft 4,658 4,846 Auto theft 1,297 1,403 Arson 115 91 Total 9,627 10,259 Percent change: 6.6% Pomona Murder 25 39 Rape 86 86 Robbery 977 911 Assault 1,214 1,060 Burglary 2,511 2,214 Theft 3,635 3,898 Auto theft 1,699 1,735 Arson 374 411 Total 10,521 10,354 Percent change: -1.6% Rosemead Murder 7 9 Rape 16 14 Robbery 251 291 Assault 448 450 Burglary 673 642 Theft 928 934 Auto theft 474 477 Arson 21 19 Total 2,818 2,836 Percent change: .6% San Dimas Murder 4 0 Rape 10 12 Robbery 37 47 Assault 160 148 Burglary 327 314 Theft 570 630 Auto theft 153 181 Arson 10 9 Total 1,271 1,341 Percent change: 5.5% San Gabriel Murder 1 1 Rape 6 7 Robbery 123 163 Assault 323 298 Burglary 513 462 Theft 895 796 Auto theft 321 262 Arson 14 12 Total 2,196 2,001 Percent change: -8.8% San Marino Murder 0 0 Rape 0 0 Robbery 15 11 Assault 26 17 Burglary 127 69 Theft 209 121 Auto theft 15 15 Arson 5 10 Total 397 243 Percent change: -38.8% Sierra Madre Murder 0 0 Rape 1 1 Robbery 5 3 Assault 6 11 Burglary 64 74 Theft 67 104 Auto theft 14 16 Arson 1 0 Total 158 209 Percent change: 32.3% 1991 1992 South El Monte Murder 3 4 Rape 7 11 Robbery 112 123 Assault 229 291 Burglary 313 298 Theft 405 399 Auto theft 271 275 Arson 8 5 Total 1,348 1,406 Percent change: 4.3% South Pasadena Murder 1 0 Rape 7 1 Robbery 88 68 Assault 45 67 Burglary 258 210 Theft 637 482 Auto theft 234 213 Arson 13 6 Total 1,283 1,047 Percent change: -18.4% Temple City Murder 1 1 Rape 7 5 Robbery 61 55 Assault 93 105 Burglary 324 294 Theft 458 533 Auto theft 145 146 Arson 7 6 Total 1,096 1,145 Percent change: 4.5% Walnut Murder 2 1 Rape 6 4 Robbery 47 44 Assault 89 106 Burglary 288 294 Theft 364 342 Auto theft 115 102 Arson 7 17 Total 918 910 Percent change: -.9% West Covina Murder 15 4 Rape 40 41 Robbery 337 402 Assault 401 475 Burglary 1,178 1,051 Theft 3,467 3,299 Auto theft 1,498 1,468 Arson 127 233 Total 7,063 6,973 Percent change: -1.3% Unincorporated areas Murder 37 39 Rape 105 102 Robbery 802 802 Assault 2,738 2,670 Burglary 3,606 2,758 Theft 4,058 3,631 Auto theft 2,044 1,895 Arson 158 157 Total 13,548 12,054 Percent change: -11.03% San Gabriel Valley totals Murder 178 188 Rape 565 532 Robbery 7,129 6,754 Assault 12,399 12,922 Burglary 20,476 19,882 Theft 36,678 35,794 Auto theft 17,595 17,973 Arson 2,054 2,244 Total 97,074 96,289

Percent change: -.8% Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and police departments in the San Gabriel Valley.